The MLB offseason provided plenty of big names signed, and a lot of money offered.
Most notably pitchers in free agency provided some of the best arms in the game.
Contracts signed included hefty numbers that shocked fans, and possibly shaped the market in the upcoming years.
Not every signing is a good one though, and here three of the most overpaid pitchers in MLB ranked from bad to worst.
| Bonus | |
|---|---|
 #1 BetMGMREVIEW | New Customers - Up to $1500 Paid Back in Bonus Bets Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days One new customer offer/Add'l Terms Bet Now 21+ Playable in Ohio only Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-589-9966 |
Let our MLB betting guide help you bet on baseball.
Madison Bumgarner- five years $85 million in 2019
In this contract, $70 million is guaranteed in salary while the other $15 million will be deferred, so it is not as horrible.
What makes this a terrible contract, and Bumgarner overpaid is the lack of production. In 2022, the southpaw posted a 7-15 record with an earned run average (ERA) of 4.88. Another terrible stat was the walks and hits per inning (WHIP), the former Giants ace allowed a 1.44 WHIP.
Three years into his contract, the Diamondbacks received little, any, production from Bumgarner that warranted the huge contract. In the first year of the contract, the shortened 2020 season, the lefty finished 1-4 with a 6.48 ERA. The decline followed in 2021 with a 7-10 record and 4.67 ERA.
There is one more year of salary before the deferral of money, so this mistake of a contract paired with abysmal play may be over for Arizona after the 2023 season.
No doubt Bumgarner was an elite pitcher, and the Diamondback knew that, but this is a huge mistake and leaves Bumgarner as one of the most overpaid pitchers of 2022.
Patrick Corbin- six years $140 million in 2018
The first year, Corbin pitched a solid 14-7 record with a 3.25 ERA. But that is the only productive season Washington got out of the lefty.
In 2020, Corbin posted a 2-7 record with a 4.66 ERA in a 60-game season. The following year, Corbin declined as his ERA shot to 5.82 and a 9-16 record. But the steep decline continued as his 2022 showed a 6-19 record with a 6.31 ERA where he allowed the most hits with 210 and most earned run with 107.
After an 11-7 record in his final season with the Diamondbacks, and his first All-Star appearance, it looked like a great move for Washington. Many at the time thought this made the Nationals a powerhouse with Corbin, Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer in the rotation.
But now the Nationals are stuck with a bad contract and struggling pitcher.
Stephen Strasburg- seven years $245 million in 2019.
How the mighty fell hard in this tragic contract.
Strasburg, fresh off a World Series MVP in 2019 as a part of the feared starting rotation for the Nationals, opted out of his contract to be a free agent. In December 2019, the Nationals resigned him to this contract that paid an annual salary of $35 million.
At the time, it made sense as the former No. 1 overall pick finished 18-6 in the regular season. Strasburg owned a 3.32 ERA and pitched a league-best 209.0 innings.
But things drastically changed for the ace as he began the shortened 2020 season on the injured list. He made just two starts in that season with six runs allowed in five innings between the two.
Since he signed in 2019, Strasburg pitched eight games, with a little more than 33 innings of work in the next three seasons.